Senior Israeli Official Denies Reports of Tel Aviv-Washington Split Over Conflict with Hamas in Gaza

Israeli troops on land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - A senior Israeli official dismissed the growing public perception regarding the gap between Te Aviv and Washington regarding the demands of the Israel Defense Forces, regarding the conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

"There is 100 percent agreement from the US regarding our war aims, both publicly and privately," said a senior Israeli official in his explanation to The Times of Israel, quoted December 12.

The senior official further defended the IDF's actions, saying they were operating in a very specific area, different from what they were doing in northern Gaza. Before entering the location, his party had asked civilians to evacuate to a safe zone.

Human rights groups are known to reject this approach, saying civilians are still under fire after being evacuated and the IDF has not issued a directive allowing civilians to return to areas where they have been ordered to evacuate, thereby reducing the number of areas available to 2.3 million people evacuated.

The senior official noted the "extremely difficult conditions" the IDF is facing, given Hamas' use of tunnels and hiding among civilians, so urban fighting conditions are far from normal.

However, he emphasized that Washington had shown understanding regarding this matter privately and Washington's messages were more private.

"We really feel the support at all levels," the official said, referring to the US veto of a resolution at the UN Security Council at the weekend, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

"The support the US has shown us has been extraordinary," he said.

"Minister (Yoav) Gallant and Minister (Lloyd) Austin are in constant communication, and there is full transparency between them," the official said of the two defense ministers.

He added that the length of the current phase of the war "is not a derivative of time compared to achievements on the ground. There are things we need to achieve before we can move on to the next phase."

Regarding post-war planning, the official acknowledged that Israel was still in the early stages.

"But we know that it is not Israel or Hamas that will control Gaza. We have no plans to reoccupy Gaza," he stressed.

"That is a very important starting point, and we have to start from there," he concluded.